Three men sentenced to jail over the 2009 Television Cultural Center fire were retried at the Beijing Second Intermediate Court yesterday, after the Supreme People's Court rejected the initial sentences for being too light.
The retrial lasted from the morning until 4 pm yesterday, "but no new judgments were made," said a court publicity official.
In 2010, the three, employees of Guangdong-based company Zhongshan Shengxing, were found guilty of selling fake and poor quality walling materials for the tower, owned by China Central Television (CCTV).
Vice president Tang Zhuchuang, project manager Gu Xianshu and quality inspector Li Shuzhi were sentenced to four and a half years, four years and two and a half years.
On January 9, Li, the first man scheduled for release, was not allowed to leave the Beijing First Detention House.
"The sentences were rejected by the Supreme Court on August 19, 2011," said Li's lawyer, Yin Fuqiang, yesterday.
According to China's criminal law, people who sell fake products worth over 500,000 yuan ($79,250) should be jailed for at least seven years.
Yin said he intends to prove Li's innocence.
"Li was only an inspector who was paid a salary of 1,7 00 yuan per month. He did not intentionally seek illegal income from the job," said Yin.
"He also reported the fact that he found the materials had no quality certificates to the leadership of the company."
Altogether, 24 people received sentences of up to seven years over the fire.
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